By delivering excellent service on a consistent and ongoing basis, your current client relationships will spawn repeat business and referrals that draw new clients into your business. As a result, your success will reap yet more success, your business will grow bigger, and you'll need to provide superb service to an ever-growing group of people. At some point you'll face the important but difficult task of transitioning from an individual service provider to a service provider who works with a team to communicate with and serve clients.

Making the shift from do-it-yourself service delivery to delivery that's leveraged through an agent team is an essential turning point in a successful agent's business. It's also a dangerous point for these reasons:

• Even though you know it's necessary to leverage your service ability by assigning tasks to others on your team, you may find it difficult to release ownership. This inability to let go can result in service lapses and frustration among both staff members and clients.

• Unless you clearly establish and communicate your service philosophy and program to those on your team, you'll risk delivering an inconsistent or lower level of service to your clients.

The remedy to both these pitfalls is to define and communicate the kind of service you stand for before you share responsibility for service delivery. To define the level of service you want your clients to receive, answer the following questions:

• How frequently do you communicate with sellers?

The number one complaint consumers have about real estate agents isn't that they charge or make too much money. The number one complaint is that they are bad or infrequent communicators. Especially if you are representing the seller, understand that your client wants consistent communication. If you are not making a weekly call to provide an update on the process of the sale, you risk a poor customer relationship.

• How frequently do you make calls, send e-mail, or mail written reports?

• What is your process for sending sellers copies of your ads for their property?

• Do you provide sellers with links to virtual tours or to Web sites promoting their property?

• How often do you meet face-to-face, and do the meetings take place in the sellers' home or in your office?

• How do you receive and share showing feedback?

• Do you call the showing agent once, twice, or three times in hopes of a response, or do you keep calling until you reach the agent and receive feedback?

• Do you relay showing feedback to the seller right away, or do you collect feedback to share in a once-a-week meeting?

• What marketing strategy do you employ for each property you list?

• What steps do you take to expose the home to cooperating agents?

• What tools or systems do you employ to raise awareness of your listed property within the real estate community?

• How do you generate awareness and interest within the public pool of real estate buyers?

• What marketing techniques and systems do you employ to attract qualified buyers to your seller's property?

• In what order do you execute your marketing plan?

Create checklists that everyone on your team can use and follow. Once you are clear about what you stand for and how you deliver service to clients, you're in a position to train those on your team to deliver on your behalf and to your standards. At that point, your transition from a one-person service provider to professional service team is complete.